title: School-based obesity prevention programs: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Attempts have been made to reduce childhood obesity through school-based programs. Systematic reviews of studies until 2006 reported a lack of consistency about effectiveness of such programs. Presented is an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Replication of methodology used in previous comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of school-based obesity prevention programs covering studies until 2006 to review studies thru January 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on 32 studies (n = 52,109), programs were mildly effective in reducing BMI relative to controls not receiving intervention. Studies of children had significant intervention effects, those of teenagers did not, though the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Meta-regression showed a significant linear hierarchy of studies with the largest effects for comprehensive programs more than 1 year long that aimed to provide information on nutrition and physical activity, change attitudes, monitor behavior, modify environment, involve parents, increase physical activity and improve diet, particularly among children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike earlier studies, more recent studies showed convincing evidence that school-based prevention interventions are at least mildly effective in reducing BMI in children, possibly because these newer studies tended to be longer, more comprehensive and included parental support.
authors.affiliation: Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Shira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sobol-Goldberg
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rabinowitz
authors.forename: Revital
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012572:School Health Services; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity